Comparative study of Co3O4-ZSM-5 catalysts synthesized by different hydrothermal methods for the catalytic oxidation of dichloromethane

In this work, various Co3O4-ZSM-5 catalysts were prepared by the microwave hydrothermal method (MH-Co3O4@ZSM-5), dynamic hydrothermal method (DH-Co3O4@ZSM-5), and conventional hydrothermal method (CH-Co3O4/ZSM-5). Their catalytic oxidation of dichloromethane (DCM) was analyzed. Detailed characterizations such as X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), H-2 temperature-programmed reduction (H-2-TPR), temperature-programmed desorption of O-2 (O-2-TPD), temperature-programmed desorption of NH3 (NH3-TPD), diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectra with NH3 molecules (NH3-DRIFT), and temperature-programmed surface reaction (TPSR) were performed. Results showed that with the assistance of microwave, MH-Co3O4@ZSM-5 formed a uniform core-shell structure, while the other two samples did not. MH-Co3O4@ZSM-5 possessed rich surface adsorbed oxygen species, higher ratio of Co3+/Co2+, strong acidity, high reducibility, and oxygen mobility among the three Co3O4-ZSM-5 catalysts, which was beneficial for the improvement of DCM oxidation. In the oxidation of dichloromethane, MH-Co3O4@ZSM-5 presented the best activity and mineralization, which was consistent with the characterizations results. Meanwhile, according to the TPSR test, HCl or Cl-2 removal from the catalyst surface was also promoted in MH-Co3O4@ZSM-5 by their abundant Bronsted acid sites and the promotion of Deacon reaction by Co3O4 or the synergistic effect of Co3O4 and ZSM-5. According to the results of in situ DRIFT studies, a possible reaction pathway of DCM oxidation was proposed over the MH-Co3O4@ZSM-5 catalysts. (C) 2020 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.